FOX Pays Way More Than Five Hundred For ‘The Five Hundred’

There’s big money to be made in the field of debut novels, apparently. 20th Century Fox has paid “low-to-mid six figures against low seven figures” for the film rights to Matthew Quirk’s first novel, The Five Hundred. Here’s a plot synopsis:

“The Five Hundred revolves around Mike Ford, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks who works his way through Harvard Law and is recruited by the most powerful PR/consulting firm in DC. He becomes the protege of of the firm‘s founder, who has his hooks into the 500 most powerful people in politics. The protege soon feels that he’s sold his soul to his ruthless mentor.”

“Mike Ford,” huh? That sounds exactly like a name that a character in a novel would have. Anyway, Fox apparently is hoping that Mr. Ford will turn out to be a “franchise character,” despite his ostensible lack of web-shooters and power-rings. (via Deadline)